May 22, 2005

Editor:

In life there is ignorance, stupidity and mendacity. Ignorance is a lack of information. Stupidity is using information incorrectly. Mendacity is lying; that is, the deliberate misuse of information.

When it comes to energy, a large portion of the world's population is either ignorant, stupid or lying (to themselves or to others). It is because of these three factors that we are using the non-renewable energy sources at a rate that will soon bring them to exhaustion (or nearly so).

It is because of ignorance and stupidity that billions of people use (and misuse) energy as they do. It is through mendacity that governments and corporations distort the reality implicit in the way energy resources are used and used up.

Every "ounce" of an energy resource that is used unnecessarily or that is wasted virtually guarantees that social disruptions of incalculable magnitudes will occur, perhaps not in the life-time of those who are, like myself, advanced in years. More likely, it will be our grandchildren and their children who will bear the tragic brunt of our energy stupidity, ignorance and mendacity.

There is no "rational sense" to the way humans use energy. Our use pollutes the world's air and water (and perhaps changes the environment through global warming). There need never be an energy shortage. If ignorance, stupidity and mendacity could be set aside, there is more than enough energy in the various renewable forms to meet all future needs.

A relatively rapid and extraordinary transformation from non-renewable to renewable energy resources is demanded. Future generations "deserve" no less.

Sincerely,

Hal Mansfield